


Crossroads

by Caeli13



Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms
Genre: Drama, F/M, Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:49:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27892588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caeli13/pseuds/Caeli13
Summary: *After listening to Frank Wildhorn's (my favorite composer since I listened to The Scarlet Pimpernel Concept Album in High school) Death Note Musical, this gave me an idea~*Set years after the original Death Note, there weren't supposed to be survivors of the team that handled the Kira case. What was released to the press was that everyone else were killed by Kira, or died soon after Kira was found. But, those who worked inside the Police Force kept a secret. Her file name was under PRJCT-LNK, and, she was kept under heavy watch, unknown to her, and despite the fact that she herself entered the Police Force.Then, the criminal death toll started to rise up again, and, it brought nothing but horrible recollections and what could have beens from PRJCT-LNK. Being dragged into the case herself despite her reluctance, that same person had no choice but to once again use herself to win against the new criminal bound for their sense of justice. Now that a new Kira has resurfaced after five years, can they stop the machinations from happening all over again?
Relationships: Kira/OC - Relationship, Yagami Light/OC, Yagami Raito/OC





	1. Note 01 - Past

Note 01 – Past

The incessant chattering of the day went on as of the norm. People flocked through the streets. They went on their every day lives, some living as corporate worker, while others, for the worst part, lived as beggars or even criminals. Most of them, though, were ordinary students.

“Hey, hey! Did you hear? I heard there was quite a stir from the senior class.”

“Yeah, I heard it, too! It was that A-level student, right? Raito Yagami?”

A girl’s ears perked up at the mention of the name. Her head was burrowed into a book, her uniform of cream white blazer over her thin frame. Her khaki grey skirt was splayed messily on top of the bench she was sitting on, her thin legs crossed together with white knee-high socks.

She was not really trying to eavesdrop. She just heard his name, that’s all. It was just of pure coincidence that she was sitting at that bench in the school’s wide-open gazebo. It was also just a coincidence that the girls were too loud.

Trying to ease her ears more to what happened, she didn’t realize that someone was standing behind her, hitting her lightly with notebook.

The girl couldn’t help but look up from where she was, annoyed. She remembered the page she was stuck at as she placed her book down beside her. Upon doing so, a handsome teen that stood two heads taller than her greeted her with a, “Reading out here again, Tsukai?”

Doe eyes of onyx brown stared into light ones. The man’s face was handsome, no doubt about that. He has reddish brown hair and light brown eyes, his face a mix between yellowish tan. His face was soft, yet, looked masculine. He wore the same blazer she has with the same shade of pants.

“That was rude, you know,” she said pettily, standing up on tip toes to try and look intimidating. She picked up her school bag and went on with her glare, “You could have tapped me lightly on the shoulder or something, Yagami _-sempai_.”

He chuckled lightly, fixing her messy dark brown hair that was recent swayed by the cold wind. “Alright, I apologize. And, what did I tell you?” he smiled kindly, “Call me Raito. You used to call me that when you were five.”

“That would be disrespect,” Tsukai pointed out.

Raito hummed, apparently not caring what she had to say, a gesture she recognized oh, so well. Being three years older than her, she recognized this gesture as he picked up the book she forgot about.

“ _Noli Mi Tangere_ by _Dr. Jose Rizal_?” Raito frowned as Tsukai tried to jump up to get the book back from him. Walking away, she called out, “Sempai, give that back! Hey!”

“It’s written in a different language,” he pointed out in admiration. “Fascinating. And, you understand this?” Upon noticing her struggles, Raito instantly said, “I’m sorry. Here.” He reached the book out to her, and, she quickly grabbed the object and stuffed it inside her bag.

“Yes, you nosy boy,” she tried kicking him, but, he gracefully avoided her with a quick turn.

“That was not nice, Ms. Tenno,” Raito chuckled, rubbing her head affectionately. “Come on, before Auntie and Uncle decide to flag me for bringing their beloved daughter home late.

“So, that book,” Raito asked as they walked out of school, “what’s it about?”

“Spanish occupation in the Philippines,” Tsukai responded. “It’s about the injustice that the Spaniards gave out during their occupation in the Philippines. Practically, the author died as a National Hero. He’s pretty famous because he wrote against the Spanish and created a revolution under the name of _Illustrados_. Through the arts, they encouraged others to strike a revolution against their oppressors.”

“But, those usually take time,” Raito pointed out. “If you really want to make a huge impact, the quickest way to do it is to go into the police force.”

Tsukai childishly covered her ears, “I get it, I get it! True justice lies in blah, blah, blah. I heard this from you, like, every single day,” she couldn’t help but bemoan, earning a chuckle from her friend. “Speaking of, I heard you made another spectacle of yourself in philosophy about moral justice…?”

Raito scratched behind his head in embarrassment. “You heard about that?”

She couldn’t help but snort. “Please, Mr. Popular and Handsome. You’re well known, even in my class…Rai- _nii-chan_. Don’t deny it,” she pointed out. He threw out a smirk at her as she continued, “Handsome, top of his class, sporty, president of most of the clubs…do you even plan to eat or sleep at all?”

“It’s not that hard,” Raito mused.

She rolled her eyes at him. “Easy for you. You’re a natural genius, after all. I’m even having some problems in cram school, and, that’s just the gist of it! How do you do it?”

Coming upon a crossroad, Raito couldn’t help but look at his friend with pity. “Tell you what. Ask your parents if you’re allowed for another sleepover with Sayu. I can tutor the both of you, since you two are in the same level.”

Going towards the opposite direction that he was, she yelled out, “You’re not above using your sister as an excuse to spend time with me!”

“You’d do the same thing, too, in my shoes!” he threw back. “Say hi to Seigyo- _san_ for me!”

“Will do, _Rai-nii_!”

Running at full speed, it was soon enough that Tsukai reached a normal-looking house with a nice white wall and homey black gate. The name _Tenno_ was written in golden letters against that gate, polished and shined beautifully.

Both Raito and Seigyo, her older brother, were old friends, too, the reason why she met Raito. It was just that her brother was five years older than her, making him two years older than Raito himself.

The Yagami and Tenno family have been good friends ever since Tsukai herself got lost the moment their father had just moved into the city. Being a curious child at an early age with a short attention span, she found herself instantly in an unfamiliar place when she followed the sound of a car driving pass their house. Crying all on her own, a boy approached her, whome she instantly trusted due to his angelic appearance. That was her first meeting with Raito’s family. It was thanks to the Yagamis that she was returned safely, being a family of good morals, and the fact that the father was a member of the police force. Her father, who was recently appointed as a prosecutor, instantly bonded with the family. There were numerous playdates between the children, but, Tsukai was enamored by the handsome eldest son of the Yagamis since day one.

Opening the bronze-painted doorknob, she yelled out, “I’m home,” as she took off her shoes.

“Welcome home!!!”

As someone who was used to being pounced by the person, she quickly maneuvered herself away. “Seigyo- _nii_ , I thought you were in college?”

“I had an early break.” The man managed to hit her head the second time with a karate chop. This usually happened since they were kids. Seigyo would tease her every day, and, both would usually end up arguing until their parents separate them.

As teens, nothing had changed. At all.

“Why do you always do that?” she growled like a kitten.

Seigyo stuck out his tongue. “Goes to show how slow you are.”

“Grrrr!!!!”

Tenno Seigyo was the same height as Raito. Bearing a resemblance to his sister, one could say that she was a copy of him, except that Seigyo gave out truly masculine vibes.

“Now, now, you, two,” a calm voice spoke from inside. Both heads turned to face a woman with blonde hair and emerald green eyes. She was tall, with Caucasian skin. Her face was like a heart, and, she looked quite young despite her age. Her lips were painted in red, and her outfit was one for a corporate worker.

“ _Ich bin zurück, mutter_ ,” she greeted. Walking quickly to her, she landed a kiss on her cheek.

_I’m back, mother._

“ _Willkommen zuhause, meine geliebte_ ,” the woman greeted back gaily.

 _Welcome home, my love_.

Glowering strictly to her brother, the woman scolded him, “Seigyo, we did not raise you to be a bully. Stop bothering your sister and help out with the chores before your father arrives back home.”

Seigyo nodded glumly, “Yes, _kaa-san_.”

As their mother’s back was turned, Tsukai stuck her tongue out, annoying her brother even more.

Her mother, as what was seen, was a foreigner, a German, in fact. She and her father met in a party hosted by their maternal grandfather. It was said to be a whirlwind romance. Since the grandfather disapproved of their relationship, she was given a choice to not see her lover again or lose everything. Their mother completely chose the latter.

Despite what happened, both siblings couldn’t see a single flaw in their relationship. Both Anjelika Anja Vogt and Tenno Reo were so madly in love that they didn’t care about the consequences.

“ _Tou-san_ is still at work?” Tsukai asked, entering the kitchen, which was adjacent to the dining area.

Anjelika nodded, “Yes. He might be home late because of work.”

“Oh,” Tsukai pouted.

“The _chibi_ doth want to ask something?” Seigyo teased.

This instantly riled her up. “I am not SMALL!!!”

A loud thwack could be heard, followed by a groan. Apparently, from what the scene could tell her, her mother used the wooden spoon she was using to stir the soup to hit her older brother. The soup ingredients floating on top of her brother’s hair was proof enough of the spectacle.

“Stop bullying your sister, or no dinner!” Anjelika shot at him.

“I’m your _favorite_ son!”

“Poppycock, you’re my _only_ son!” Turning to her daughter, she asked softly, “What is it, dear?”

“I was wondering if I could have an overnight at Sayu’s?” she asked with innocent wide eyes. “It’s a Friday, and I needed help with my homework. I already asked Raito-nii if he would tutor us today, and he already said yes.”

“Of course!” Anjelika responded gaily. “You can bring some snacks with you. I know how hard you’re working. It must be difficult.”

Seigyo frowned, his hands on his hips. “I can help, you know. I managed to get a decent grade in all of my subjects in high school.”

“I’m going to wash up for later,” she smiled happily, excited to see Raito. Skipping away, she couldn’t help but call out to her brother, “You’re not as smart as he is, anyway! You got only As, not A plus and above!!!”

“I take offense to that!”

“Seigyo, the rice is overflowing!!!”

_Yagami Household_

“Thank you for welcoming me, _baa-san_ ,” Tsukai greeted the matriarch of the family in the traditional sense of bowing.

“Oh, it’s no problem, dear,” Raito’s mom said. “You are welcome here any time.”

She was a middle-aged woman with dark brown hair styled in a bob cut. Her eyes looked tired, but, there was a shine of kindness in them. She was a head shorter than her son, but, for Tsukai, she was still tall, nonetheless.

“I’ll bring her to my room,” Sayu grinned, pulling her along.

Sayu resembled her mother in hair and form. She was an exact copy, only more perky and outgoing. She was also bratty, sometimes to the point of annoying Tsukai. They’re still friends, so, she needed to tolerate how insolent she can be sometimes.

“Excuse me,” Tsukai called out hastily to not seem rude.

Just like most Japanese houses, Sayu’s bedroom was on the second floor, a shot away from her brother’s. Her room was the total description of girly, with pink objects everywhere, added with frills. A huge mirror was in front of her desk with makeup and other accessories a girl can dream of.

The minute Sayu closed the door, she said sneakily, “So, I know you’re here for my brother.”

“I’m a zombie after his brains,” Tsukai pointed out.

“Ewe, gross,” Sayu dropped on her bed sloppily as Tsukai took a seat beside her form. Turning to face her, Sayu went on, “So, have you told him? He’s off to college next year, you know. You may not see him until then.”

Tsukai bit her bottom lip and dropped the bag she carried beside her.

Sayu knew of her crush on Raito for years. It was pretty obvious to those who watched her, even from the outsider’s point of view (her brother excluded; he was denser than gravity, that’s for sure), but, she never got the courage to tell him. The fact that Raito also had a string of relationships with girls who were also out of her league was also telling.

“It’s not the right time,” Tsukai tried to reason for the nth time. “I haven’t…become right for him yet.”

“You mean smart enough for him?” Sayu observed her nails daintily as she continued to lie on her stomach. “I thought you followed my brother in the same school because you liked him. Why bother going all through the trouble if you’re just going to be quiet?”

Tsukai turned her head to her friend with wide eyes. “You haven’t seen the women he’s been with, right?”

Sayu raised her head. “He never introduces them to us, anyway, unless we meet them out of the house. My brother prefers to be private about his affairs, so, it’s pretty justified.

“But, you have a point there,” Sayu stated bluntly. “They’re all hot, and you have nothing on them.”

“You’re supposed to be supporting me,” Tsukai sighed.

A knock interrupted their talk. Sayu approached the door, and Tsukai almost blushed at how Raito spoke in his typical kind voice, “Sayu, mom said you need to help out in the kitchen?”

“But, Tsukai just got here!”

Tsukai bent slightly over towards the gap where Sayu was. Waving at Raito, his expression from the stern yet kind older brother turned into one of surprise.

“How long have you been here?” Raito asked, pushing Sayu away. Giving her the look, she instantly sighed and left her brother and her best friend together, keeping the door open as per household rule if someone not from the family of the opposite sex is around.

Dressed in masculine lounge clothes, his physical appearance just cemented her admiration for him even more. He was wearing a loose grey shirt that looked good on him with dark blue joggers.

“I just arrived. Your sister kidnapped me. Isn’t that a ground for arrest?” she jokingly poked at him.

Raito gave her a semi-serious expression. Deepening his voice, he replied softly, “I don’t know, Ms. Tenno. Did you follow her willingly? There might be a loophole that would allow the grounds to be declined. You have to be more prudent with your evidence, if that’s the case.”

she tried to hold her laughter, but, the way Raito was doing it, it was as if he was truly being a lawyer. Yet, her self-control was as lacking as her sense of direction, thus, letting an unlady like snort escaping her mouth.

“My Lord, you do sound like a prosecutor!” she laughed.

Raito chuckled back. “Sad, I wanted to be a police officer.”

To distract herself from her raging emotions, she reached for her bag and brought out some books. Each of the books had a handmade bookmark which she designed herself with a metal rod in between the pages, color coded per subject.

“Science and math nearly killed me today,” she sighed dramatically. “I took down the necessary notes, but, the teacher did just a quick explanation before going off-topic.”

“Was that Professor Matsuoka teaching in your math class?” Raito inquired with a frown.

She nodded adamantly.

“That explains it,” he nodded. “He was never a good teacher. If it wasn’t for cram school, my grades would have suffered. It’s a surprise that he’s still allowed to teach.”

“Right? And the students are the ones left to suffer,” she complained.

Raito checked her science book next, nodding along the way. A few minutes later, he closed the book and said, “I will help you later with Sayu. We’d do it in my room. It’s bigger, plus, I can give you guys some references from the notes I’ve gotten, and then some. Although I commend you for your note-taking,” he grimaced, “your handwriting really needs a lot of work.”

“Thank you so much, Rai- _nii_ ,” she grinned cheekily.

Raito poked her forehead with each syllable, “Rai-to.”

“Nope,” she stuck her tongue out.


	2. Note 02 – Present

_Where did it all go wrong?_

The ominous feeling in her heart was heavy still. Even in death, his presence still haunted her, just like today. There was no reason for this, though. The traffic was light, the skies were decent, if not cloudy, but, her heart was still a mess, even after all this time.

Dressed in a pair of stretchable skinny jeans and a loose jacket to protect her from the biting cold, the woman stood at a petite height. Her dark brown hair, which reached her back, was tied in a ponytail. Her doe-like eyes were tired, not just because of her reverie, but, because she was running on a short fume. She barely slept at all. The department was preparing to accept someone new from overseas because the Death Note incident was happening…again.

Upon entering home-base, she was greeted by her superior, Chief Officer Hikari, a man just around her twenty-five years. He was part-British, with light hair and lavender eyes hidden behind a pair of round glasses. Albeit his look, he was still good-looking.

Other members included some members from other departments she was still unsure of.

“Am I late?” she asked with a hoarse voice.

Hikari gave her an apologetic smile. “It’s understandable. You’ve been sleeping for only three hours, after all. No need to fret about it.”

“No harm, then,” she responded with a smile.

One of the members pushed a warm mug of coffee in front of her. She was a tall, leggy woman with jet black hair and really nice green eyes that reminded her of her mother. Older than her by seven years, the woman did not look the part.

“Here,” she said with an accent. “We need you awake before our boss arrives.”

Arisa Renaud, a French woman assigned to also investigate the current information. Apparently and probably Interpol.

She didn’t hesitate as she chugged down her mug. She never liked coffee, preferring tea over it, but, it was needed at the time. she cannot be picky, too, since coffee and abate her hunger from the lack of eating.

Just as she gulped the last drop, the door opened. Instantly, everyone stood up and gave a salute, including her.

Their boss, simply known as X, stood with a mask on his face. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a thick trench coat, but, anything else, they didn’t know how he looked underneath all of that getup. Behind him stood a man two heads taller than her despite the heels she wore. His reddish-brown hair was swept to one side, and his eyes were a mimic of his hair. He was fairly a handsome man, with a pale skin to match his physique.

“We all know why we are here,” X said in a raspy voice. “Now, we have completed our team of individuals to investigate the current happenings of another Kira. Everyone,” he gestured for the man beside him, “meet our current prodigy, Mond Licht Nachtgott. He prefers to be called Licht.”

“How do you do?” he smiled charmingly. “I am Licht. I hope we can all work together to solve this case.”

X turned to face them. “Everyone, introduce yourself and your position in our current team.” Then, he added, "Use your code names, of course."

“Hikarishima Satoshi,” her Chief Officer spoke, “Chief Officer of Investigations Department.”

Everyone else introduced themselves, one by one, with another female colleague trying to flirt at an amused Licht until it reached her.

“Tenshi Tsukai,” she stated blankly, “Forensics assistant.”

Licht lowered his head, “It is a pleasure to be working with you. As X had said, I am Mond Licht Nachtgott, but, I prefer to be called Licht. I have been working in Germany as an investigator and got roped into the case by coincidence.”

“You are welcome to stay,” Hikari nodded at Licht. “You can call me just Hikarishima. I don’t require Tenshi to use those stiff titles, even though I know she does it mentally.”

Tsukai couldn’t help but stick out her tongue. “It’s called respect, bossing.”

“Your actions doth protest too much,” Hikari snorted.

“What have we gotten so far?” X interrupted their banter.

Chief Officer Hikari cleared his throat and nodded at her. Going to a messy desk, she pulled out one of the folders with the shreds of evidence written and pictured according to date and its alphabetical order.

“How do you manage to look for those?” The domestic investigator, Hasuno Genko, asked, scratching his beard as his bald head shined underneath the lights.

Tsukai shrugged. “I used it as a method to hide important things. The fact that it’s messy, it would be difficult for a mole to look for it. Plus, it would take a lot of time because I memorize the locations of my messy folders myself. I would know if someone took something from the desk without my permission.”

Opening the folder, X examined the clues they had so far. “As you are well aware, we decided to take this case because we are to believe that someone is mimicking the original Kira’s movements. You’ve noticed that all of you are practically from all over the world, sans Tenshi and Hikarishima,” he nodded at the two, who responded in kind, “and, our goal this time is to capture him before more of these criminals are affected.

“Officer Tenshi here is a direct link and the only survivor to the events of the first Kira.”

“Ah,” Arisa Renaud smiled suspiciously. “You were the supposed ‘missing link’, from what I recalled. Your information was all hushed up when I did my investigation in France. Mind telling us why is that?”

If she was still a kid and didn’t experience the things she did, she would have reacted by exploding strings of profanity towards the snub. But, five years had passed. She was no longer that carefree and starry-eyed little girl.

With a poise she learned from watching her mother, she responded, “Aside from the fact that Kira has still larger supporters from all over the globe despite his passing and I might be a target if they’d find out that I had a hand to his death? Because I was, as you said, a direct link. I knew him personally, and he, me.”

“And, you didn’t hand him at the moment you knew?” Arisa muttered in doubt.

Tsukai responded, “I didn’t know until the experiment that N, our predecessor, and champion over Kira, conducted proved that the man I trusted was none other than Kira. By then, it was too late.”

“He must have been a good actor, that Kira,” Genko mused.

Tsukai nodded. “He managed to infiltrate the very organization that investigated him and killed everyone, including his father. Right now, we don’t know how he looks or what his job is. It would take time, but, N could be contacted to help us further.”

X nodded. “I am glad we are of the same mind on that.”

“Who is this N?” Genko asked.

Chief Officer Hikari was the one who spoke. “He’s a man who succeeded L, one of the greatest criminal investigators during that time. I think Tenshi here was still in high school when she also met L.”

Tsukai nodded. “He was a weird guy with weird habits and a weird taste for sweets, just like his successor, N.”

“You were there the entire time it happened?” Licht couldn’t help but ponder. “I wonder why he left you alive. He seemed the type to just kill because he could.”

She shrugged. “Who knows the workings of the mind a psychopath?”

“Before we completely begin,” X instructed, “a rule of no gadgets allowed except for our secured computers will be enforced. People can hear through microphones from our gadgets, therefore,” he drew out a basket.

One by one, they all handed in their gadgets. Even a battered MP4 player from Tsukai was surrendered, making her feel a bit glum. It was her Happy Files, where she placed all of her music to calm and comfort her whenever her PTSD would rise. Still, she learned to be a stickler for rules.

“I will be placing it inside this safe,” X went on, pointing at a gigantic cube just beside one of the desks. “You can retrieve the phones when you have an urgent call, but, you are required to step outside. Any other questions?”

Tsukai raised her hand. “One of the stuff I handed is an MP4. It’s actually…something that handles some of my stress.”

“I’m sorry, Tenshi, but, rules are rules.” X didn’t sound apologetic at all.

She shrugged, “Didn’t hurt asking. Well, let’s get to work.”

Three days into the observation, Tsukai found herself dozing right outside their home base. With her MP4 in hand, the music of her favorite band blasted through her ears.

_I’m traumatized – seeing black and white_

_I’m falling deeper into despair_

_I realized I lost my sight_

_It’s beyond me to have it repaired_

She felt a hand touch her shoulder lightly. By instinct and quick reflex, she woke up instantly as she grabbed the person’s hand and twisted it. Using their weight against them, she flipped them over and jumped on his back, all the while holding the arm to lock them in.

_This can’t be…_

“ _Autsch_!!!” she heard a masculine voice below her.

_Ouch!!!_

She was shocked out of her reverie at the sound. Looking down, she instantly stood up with frantic motions. “ _Es tut mir leid!_ _das wollte ich nicht!_ ”

_I’m so sorry!_ _I didn’t mean to!_

She gingerly got up from Licht, who dusted himself gingerly. He shook his arm, probably trying to get the blood flowing back from her death grip. Looking back at her, he asked her in astonishment, “You can speak German?”

Tsukai crossed her arms in front of her. “I thought it was a thing to investigate your future colleagues.”

He shook his head. “Nah, I just thought it would be amazing to tackle this case.” He sat where she did, and he patted the unoccupied space beside him, which she took without hesitation. “So…German?”

“My mom’s German, but, dad was full-grown Japanese.”

“You don’t seem to have an accent,” Licht pointed out.

She shrugged. “Mom raised me to learn different languages, reinforcing the ones she thinks were necessary, being Deutsch, English, and Nihonggo.”

“What’s the story behind the MP4 player?” he asked as she settled. “I don’t mean to pry, but, I noticed how you always sleep out here and would have the MP4 player with you.”

Tsukai just shrugged. “I love music, is all. Helps me calm and think.”

“About the case?”

“ _Alles_ ,” she whispered.

 _Everything_.

She didn’t want to sound depressing, but, the stains of the sins stuck to her like glue. There were multiple what ifs and why nots in her life, and it was slowly eating her away.

“I,” she slowly started, “actually want to leave the case alone.”

Licht turned around to face her. “Why so?”

She hugged herself, muttering, “Too many overlapping memories. It’s difficult to separate myself from the case.” She looked back at Licht and whispered, “For some strange reason, though, you resemble him a lot in looks…the same shade of hair and all…the same body.”

It wasn’t soon enough that she truly fell asleep on Licht’s shoulder.

From the outside, it seemed that Licht was trying to comfort a friend, but, when one would look closely, there was contemplation in his eyes about her reveal. At first, there was a surprise – seeing Tsukai again after his ‘death’, he missed her dearly. At first, he didn’t believe that this same girl who was more reclused could be the same girl who would encouragingly bicker with him. It was followed by anger at how she would easily dismiss him when he, even in his transcension, only thought of her. Yes, for all his faults, the only perfect thing he managed to hold on to was this girl…no, woman, on his shoulder. Lastly, there was the euphoria. That MP4 player she had was _his_. He told his sister that if anything happened to him, the player would always go directly to Tsukai, who enjoyed ‘borrowing it without asking permission’ in their youth. It meant that she was trying too hard to forget.

Sadly, she wouldn’t have the chance.

Putting his arm around her, he thought of the next step to his plan.

It was no coincidence when X found him ‘investigating’ the new Kira case. Getting a new identity after forcing the King of the Death Gods to give him the ability to shift and ‘become’ human, it was easy in Germany. Settling and bidding his time was enough to establish his prowess in solving cases. Researching about Tsukai was even a fun task he managed to accomplish with a bit of difficulty. Though her files were kept on lock, he was able to decrypt the entire thing.

She still lived in the same neighborhood, but, in an apartment of her own. She had dated a couple of boys along the way (they would be dealt with soon, that’s for sure), but, usually stuck to herself, and Seigyo…

Just thinking of his old friend brought back the old fury he had kept. He might have made a promise not to kill the bastard with his hands, but, there were loopholes in every rule.

He gripped her shoulder tighter to the point that she whimpered in her sleep. As usual, she was a heavy sleeper, only active when she was awake. When all of that was taken, she was like a sheep ready for slaughter.

He thought she would be smarter, too. He already gave her clues to his true identity. Aside from the name, he made sure to make gestures that would greatly remind her of the Yagami Raito she once knew. Although not as intimate as before, the way he stood with hands in his pocket, the way he phrased his words…those should have been clues to her.

He needed to up his game.

“You’ve slowed down, Tsuki,” he mused softly. He traced the side of her face and nearly frowned at how rough it felt.

From that roughness, he felt some skin that was slightly raised to form a smooth line. It must have been the scar she had removed when _that_ incident happened.

Now, who would he leave the Death Note to? He needed someone whose sense of justice was as strong as his.

Tsukai’s justice was always strong, but, everything for her was colored in black and white. Seigyo despised him after a certain incident involving his sister, too, even though his sense of justice was strong… He needed to move in the shadows properly, and, having the Death Note on him would diether his movements, making him too obvious.

He won’t make the same mistake he did five years ago.


	3. Note 03 – Past

Tsukai did the habit of staring out of her window. Her mind was lost in the maze of questions and answers she reviewed the previous week with Raito. Though usually focused, she was still ditzy when it came to her actual classes. The only time she truly felt at easy was during break time.

Raito wasn’t a strict teacher to her and his sister, but, he was egotistical in his own way, showing off despite his kind words. One phrase she usually heard during their reviews was, “A five-year-old could have solved this case a long time ago if they listened.”

_Ha! Listened, my tiny foot!_

“Ms. Tenno, it seems like your brain has flown out of the window again.”

The class let out a laughter at her expense. Going red, she apologized in her seat.

“Since you have the time to dawdle, why don’t you help us translate the Japanese passage into English and give us its proverbial meaning?” The teacher commanded, further making her feel embarrassed.

Standing up, she read without an accent, “ _Even the head of a sardine can become holy with devotion,_ meaning, that anything can become holy as long was one devotes him or herself with the belief, for, such is faith.”

The teacher nodded in accord. “Please, pay attention next time.”

Seating back down, she let out a sigh of relief.

By exactly twelve noon, the lunch bell rang. Getting up from her seat, Tsukai did a few stretches, yawning along the way.

“What got’tcha in a twist today?” one of her classmates, Makoto Tomokazu, asked, his messy black hair highlighted with some red and gold. He was from the Kansai region, thus, explaining his accent. And, for a guy with decently average grades, he was kind of a rebel with a golden heart. He was a head and a few inches taller than her, and, he was pretty cool.

She shrugged. “I was up all night. Studying.”

He was playing with his phone when he did a doubletake. “You? Study? Since when?”

Tsukai gave him a pout. “I take that as an insult.”

Tomokazu rubbed her head affectionately. “Well, your grades aren’t showing it. I still score higher than ya’, ya’ know!”

“Hey! Watch the head! OI!!!”

She felt herself being pulled from his grasp, followed by hushed squeals from the female populace. She didn’t have to look up to know who held her by the collar.

“ _Sempai_ ,” she smiled childishly.

Raito gave her a blank stare. Then, his gaze turned to Tomokazu, who felt a sudden chill run down his spine. Small beads of sweat poured out of his forehead, wondering if he did something to garner such look from someone he looked up to.

“Hallo, _sempai_!” he greeted.

“Why are you here?” she asked.

This broke the one-sided staring contest of Raito, who put her down gently. “I was worried that you would skip lunch again to read a book, so, I came here to fetch you and make sure you eat. Sayu made us both lunch sets.” He raised a box beside him, wrapped in a purple cloth.

Turning to Tomokazu, she apologized, “Sorry, bro, but, I’ve been pulled away from you with the promises of free food. Catch you later, alligator~”

“After a while, Brocodile,” he threw back.

She followed Raito, who was uncharacteristically too quiet. Arriving at their canteen, she wasn’t surprised at the envious looks she was receiving.

Raito was truly popular. Everyone from the campus would either wanted to be him or be with him. Despite the hostility, no one dared bother her, unlike before. When Raito found out that she was bullied for being with him, he instantly put a stop to it by declaring that whoever did try bullying her again would face his wrath. The fact that he also declared that she was his younger sister’s best friend cemented her place.

Raito pushed the top part of the box set to her. He didn’t even look at her as he said, “Eat up.”

“You seem to be in a bad mood,” she pointed out.

Raito didn’t look at her as he stated, “You’re hanging around riffraff again.”

Tsukai sighed loudly. “For the last time, _sempai_ , Tomokazu may not look like it, but, he’s one of the top ten students here in school. Just because he has his own fashion sense, doesn’t make him someone who prowl the streets at night.”

Raito pointed out skeptically, “He could have cheated off of someone.”

She shook her head adamantly. “More like our classmate did that, who recently got caught and expelled.”

Raito leaned close to her, “Why are you so adamant about defending him?”

“Why are you so adamant about throwing the blame on him?”

“Are you going to be answering my question with a question?”

“I don’t know, aren’t you doing the same thing?”

“Are we really doing this?”

“Why, is there a problem?”

“He’s a bad influence,” Raito crossed his arms in distaste.

She shrugged. “I don’t see a problem here. He’s a pretty decent guy if you ask me. Plus, whenever you’re too busy with the Sports Cluster, he was always trying to give me tips on how to study, which works out pretty well in my favor.” She took a bite out of the meat and admired Sayu’s skill in cooking.

Raito shook his head. “I keep on forgetting how stubborn and frustrating you could be.”

“Respect my friends, and, I’ll respect your opinion.”

Fed up with his opinion, she pushed the barely touched lunch towards him and said, “I’ve lost my appetite. Get back to me when you actually stop treating me as if I was still five.” She turned around, not waiting for his answer.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Without surprise, she found out that the news of their argument spread like wildfire, and, someone actually said something about her cheating on Raito with someone else.

She scoffed at it.

Tomokazu patted her shoulder kindly. “No worries, bro, you’d be fine.”

I shrugged. “I just don’t like it when he talks bad about my friends.”

Tomokazu had the gall to say, “Puh-leaze, am yer’ o’ly bff!” He draped his arm over her, and, she couldn’t help but playfully push him off of her.

“Wanna eat somewhere fer’ snacks, ya?” he asked, checking his wallet. “Heard there’s this new butler café that opened, and, I’m sure you can afford to spend a bit, since you haven’t done a cheat day in three months.”

At the mention of a butler café, she instantly perked up.

“G-g-good looking men in legit suits?” She easily looked like as if she was drooling.

Tomokazu nodded with a heavy breath. “I am so going to regret.”

Like a whirlwind, she pulled Tomokazu and nearly forgot that he knew the place’s location better than she does.

_Tenno Household_

Tsukai tapped her light blue mechanical pencil multiple times on the paper as she and her brother sat in the dining hall with their parents. Her father, Tenno Reo, a handsome man who aged well into his fifties, draped his arm over his wife, looking tired yet content.

“I am so going to die,” Tsukai groaned in exaggerated agony.

Seigyo looked over her assignment. “Go to quadrant four, and, trace it from there.”

She stared at her brother blankly. “I am a visual kinesthetic learner.”

Seigyo rolled his eyes, but, gave her a hand in the homework.

Though nothing on par with Raito, Seigyo was also a top student during his prime. He went to a different high school, but, he managed to still enter a private one that had pretty high standards. He was also a natural who didn’t need to study but ended up acing his exams. Not one of his notebooks were used for note-taking and became second hand to Tsukai, who needed all the note-taking she could get. The only subject she seemed to fare well was language, being taught by a natural such as their mom.

By eight in the evening, she was done with her assignments, thanks to the help of her brother and parents.

“ _Tou-chan_ ,” Tsukai called out. “I’m going to head out and buy some snacks.”

Reo raised his head towards his only daughter. “Of course. Can you also buy me some smokes before you head back?”

“She’s underaged, _Paps_ ,” Seigyo reminded him cheekily.

 _Dad_.

“Go with your sister, then,” their mother suggested.

Seigyo nodded in kind. “Sure. I’m craving for ice cream myself.”

As both siblings rose from their chairs, Tsukai pointed out, “You just had cake five minutes ago.”

“A man has a separate stomach for dessert, _meine schwester_ ,” he winked, rubbing her head affectionately. They went for their coats, seeing that the weather of Japan was drastically changing into a very cold one due to the seasonal change.

_My sister._

She couldn’t help but roll her eyes as her brother helped her into her coat.

Sure enough, the weather left both siblings wanting the comfort of their homes, but, persevered as both headed for the convenience store. Tsukai went her own way, looking for a soda or flavored carbonated water with her favorite brand of salted chips.

“ _Nii-chan_ , I got every –”

Standing in front of her, was none other than Yagami Raito, having a cheerful conversation with her brother.

“Hey,” she pretended that nothing happened.

Raito, who was a good actor himself, chimed in. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“Our dad needed smokes, and she needed some snacks before hitting the hay, so, we came here,” Seigyo said affectionately, kissing his baby sister’s cheek.

“He also needed ice cream after devouring almost half of the entire cake,” she pointed out. She enjoyed embarrassing her brother every moment she could, for he’d do the same with her friends, given the chance.

Seigyo instantly gave her a noogie on the head. “It was barely half!!!! Damn, bratty half-pint!!!”

A scream caught their attention. Seigyo instantly stiffened and turned to see four men trying to take advantage of a woman. He instantly went out of the store, leaving the things in a basket, to try and rescue the girl.

“Raito, help her, too!!!” she whispered, not liking what she was seeing.

Raito turned to look at her. Taking her in and covering her eyes, he whispered close to her ear, “It’s okay, your brother has it covered. Besides, someone has to stay close to you and make sure you don’t see this.”

She could feel his breath fanning her cheek, and, she couldn’t help but feel something boiling at the pit of her stomach. It didn’t help when she felt his warmth holding her from behind.

The next thing she knew, the sound of Raito gasping in surprise caught her attention. She quickly disentangled herself from his grasp. What she saw next caused her to hold her breath. There was an accident that just occurred, and her brother also stood frozen as those would-be rapists ran to chase after their friend.

Raito quickly shielded her eyes away once more by hugging her tightly, hissing, “Don’t look! J-Just don’t. it’s not for you to see…”

Raito actually stuttered?

Looking up, she realized that Raito seemed…human? No. he looked scared. He looked like he just discovered something but was too afraid to say anything.

Seigyo soon entered back. Taking the things Tsukai wanted to buy, he ordered Raito directly, “Send Tsukai off. She shouldn’t be seeing these kinds of things.”

Raito nodded, shaking himself, too, but, not enough for others to notice. Holding her hand tightly, Raito made sure to cover the area where the accident happened and held onto her as if she, too, was his lifeline.

“Are you alright, Rai- _nii-chan_?” she asked him softly.

Raito stopped in his tracks. Turning to face her, he looked too composed as he asked, “I should be asking you that. You shouldn’t have been there to see that kind of thing…too innocent…”

Tsukai nodded, trying to calm down her drumming heart. “Y-y-yes, but, we s-s-see these k-k-kind of things o-on the news every day.”

Raito looked her into his arms gently. “Reality is different from seeing things on the television.” Removing his jacket, he placed it on her.

She snuggled into him, smelling his gentle scent. It was so…Raito. Looking up at him, she spoke softly, “Thanks.” Raito always did this out of obligation, but, she would take as much as she could.

“About a while ago,” Raito began.

She shook her head. “It’s not worth mentioning. All water under the bridge.”

Raito couldn’t help but nod. “I was just curious where you went.”

If Raito was trying to distract her from the events a while ago, he was doing a pretty good job. Instantly, Tsukai’s countenance shifted from awkward to one gushing about ‘cute guys’ and ‘hotties in a suit’. She described how the food was pricy because of the theme, but, enjoyed ‘eye-candy’ nonetheless. She was also gushing about one hot guy with glasses that reminded her of an anime she watched.

“You do know those types of cafes are known to underpay the poor employees, right?”

“They do?” Tsukai said cluelessly.

Raito nodded.

Both arrived at the front of her house soon. Looking at him, he seemed ti be in no hurry to leave.

“Uh…see you in school?” she said uncertainly.

He nodded, seemed to be in a daze himself.

She took off his jacket and handed it to him, but, he pushed it towards her, saying, “Keep it and bring it to school tomorrow.”

“I have a lot of jackets at my disposal,” she argued.

He shook his head. “Just do as I say for once. Besides, this will give you a reason to go to my classroom tomorrow for a change. I’m always the one bringing you things that you leave behind Sayu’s room.”

“Men are really weird.” She couldn’t help but scrunch her face as she left him out in the cold. Nonetheless, she did as instructed and frog marched into the house, leaving Raito outside.

For someone so smart, she missed the haunted look that Raito kept behind his façade. If she knew that this was the beginning of his descent, she would have done anything to stop him.


	4. Note 03 – Past

Tsukai did the habit of staring out of her window. Her mind was lost in the maze of questions and answers she reviewed the previous week with Raito. Though usually focused, she was still ditzy when it came to her actual classes. The only time she truly felt at easy was during break time.

Raito wasn’t a strict teacher to her and his sister, but, he was egotistical in his own way, showing off despite his kind words. One phrase she usually heard during their reviews was, “A five-year-old could have solved this case a long time ago if they listened.”

_Ha! Listened, my tiny foot!_

“Ms. Tenno, it seems like your brain has flown out of the window again.”

The class let out a laughter at her expense. Going red, she apologized in her seat.

“Since you have the time to dawdle, why don’t you help us translate the Japanese passage into English and give us its proverbial meaning?” The teacher commanded, further making her feel embarrassed.

Standing up, she read without an accent, “ _Even the head of a sardine can become holy with devotion,_ meaning, that anything can become holy as long was one devotes him or herself with the belief, for, such is faith.”

The teacher nodded in accord. “Please, pay attention next time.”

Seating back down, she let out a sigh of relief.

By exactly twelve noon, the lunch bell rang. Getting up from her seat, Tsukai did a few stretches, yawning along the way.

“What got’tcha in a twist today?” one of her classmates, Makoto Tomokazu, asked, his messy black hair highlighted with some red and gold. He was from the Kansai region, thus, explaining his accent. And, for a guy with decently average grades, he was kind of a rebel with a golden heart. He was a head and a few inches taller than her, and, he was pretty cool.

She shrugged. “I was up all night. Studying.”

He was playing with his phone when he did a doubletake. “You? Study? Since when?”

Tsukai gave him a pout. “I take that as an insult.”

Tomokazu rubbed her head affectionately. “Well, your grades aren’t showing it. I still score higher than ya’, ya’ know!”

“Hey! Watch the head! OI!!!”

She felt herself being pulled from his grasp, followed by hushed squeals from the female populace. She didn’t have to look up to know who held her by the collar.

“ _Sempai_ ,” she smiled childishly.

Raito gave her a blank stare. Then, his gaze turned to Tomokazu, who felt a sudden chill run down his spine. Small beads of sweat poured out of his forehead, wondering if he did something to garner such look from someone he looked up to.

“Hallo, _sempai_!” he greeted.

“Why are you here?” she asked.

This broke the one-sided staring contest of Raito, who put her down gently. “I was worried that you would skip lunch again to read a book, so, I came here to fetch you and make sure you eat. Sayu made us both lunch sets.” He raised a box beside him, wrapped in a purple cloth.

Turning to Tomokazu, she apologized, “Sorry, bro, but, I’ve been pulled away from you with the promises of free food. Catch you later, alligator~”

“After a while, Brocodile,” he threw back.

She followed Raito, who was uncharacteristically too quiet. Arriving at their canteen, she wasn’t surprised at the envious looks she was receiving.

Raito was truly popular. Everyone from the campus would either wanted to be him or be with him. Despite the hostility, no one dared bother her, unlike before. When Raito found out that she was bullied for being with him, he instantly put a stop to it by declaring that whoever did try bullying her again would face his wrath. The fact that he also declared that she was his younger sister’s best friend cemented her place.

Raito pushed the top part of the box set to her. He didn’t even look at her as he said, “Eat up.”

“You seem to be in a bad mood,” she pointed out.

Raito didn’t look at her as he stated, “You’re hanging around riffraff again.”

Tsukai sighed loudly. “For the last time, _sempai_ , Tomokazu may not look like it, but, he’s one of the top ten students here in school. Just because he has his own fashion sense, doesn’t make him someone who prowl the streets at night.”

Raito pointed out skeptically, “He could have cheated off of someone.”

She shook her head adamantly. “More like our classmate did that, who recently got caught and expelled.”

Raito leaned close to her, “Why are you so adamant about defending him?”

“Why are you so adamant about throwing the blame on him?”

“Are you going to be answering my question with a question?”

“I don’t know, aren’t you doing the same thing?”

“Are we really doing this?”

“Why, is there a problem?”

“He’s a bad influence,” Raito crossed his arms in distaste.

She shrugged. “I don’t see a problem here. He’s a pretty decent guy if you ask me. Plus, whenever you’re too busy with the Sports Cluster, he was always trying to give me tips on how to study, which works out pretty well in my favor.” She took a bite out of the meat and admired Sayu’s skill in cooking.

Raito shook his head. “I keep on forgetting how stubborn and frustrating you could be.”

“Respect my friends, and, I’ll respect your opinion.”

Fed up with his opinion, she pushed the barely touched lunch towards him and said, “I’ve lost my appetite. Get back to me when you actually stop treating me as if I was still five.” She turned around, not waiting for his answer.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Without surprise, she found out that the news of their argument spread like wildfire, and, someone actually said something about her cheating on Raito with someone else.

She scoffed at it.

Tomokazu patted her shoulder kindly. “No worries, bro, you’d be fine.”

I shrugged. “I just don’t like it when he talks bad about my friends.”

Tomokazu had the gall to say, “Puh-leaze, am yer’ o’ly bff!” He draped his arm over her, and, she couldn’t help but playfully push him off of her.

“Wanna eat somewhere fer’ snacks, ya?” he asked, checking his wallet. “Heard there’s this new butler café that opened, and, I’m sure you can afford to spend a bit, since you haven’t done a cheat day in three months.”

At the mention of a butler café, she instantly perked up.

“G-g-good looking men in legit suits?” She easily looked like as if she was drooling.

Tomokazu nodded with a heavy breath. “I am so going to regret.”

Like a whirlwind, she pulled Tomokazu and nearly forgot that he knew the place’s location better than she does.

_Tenno Household_

Tsukai tapped her light blue mechanical pencil multiple times on the paper as she and her brother sat in the dining hall with their parents. Her father, Tenno Reo, a handsome man who aged well into his fifties, draped his arm over his wife, looking tired yet content.

“I am so going to die,” Tsukai groaned in exaggerated agony.

Seigyo looked over her assignment. “Go to quadrant four, and, trace it from there.”

She stared at her brother blankly. “I am a visual kinesthetic learner.”

Seigyo rolled his eyes, but, gave her a hand in the homework.

Though nothing on par with Raito, Seigyo was also a top student during his prime. He went to a different high school, but, he managed to still enter a private one that had pretty high standards. He was also a natural who didn’t need to study but ended up acing his exams. Not one of his notebooks were used for note-taking and became second hand to Tsukai, who needed all the note-taking she could get. The only subject she seemed to fare well was language, being taught by a natural such as their mom.

By eight in the evening, she was done with her assignments, thanks to the help of her brother and parents.

“ _Tou-chan_ ,” Tsukai called out. “I’m going to head out and buy some snacks.”

Reo raised his head towards his only daughter. “Of course. Can you also buy me some smokes before you head back?”

“She’s underaged, _Paps_ ,” Seigyo reminded him cheekily.

 _Dad_.

“Go with your sister, then,” their mother suggested.

Seigyo nodded in kind. “Sure. I’m craving for ice cream myself.”

As both siblings rose from their chairs, Tsukai pointed out, “You just had cake five minutes ago.”

“A man has a separate stomach for dessert, _meine schwester_ ,” he winked, rubbing her head affectionately. They went for their coats, seeing that the weather of Japan was drastically changing into a very cold one due to the seasonal change.

_My sister._

She couldn’t help but roll her eyes as her brother helped her into her coat.

Sure enough, the weather left both siblings wanting the comfort of their homes, but, persevered as both headed for the convenience store. Tsukai went her own way, looking for a soda or flavored carbonated water with her favorite brand of salted chips.

“ _Nii-chan_ , I got every –”

Standing in front of her, was none other than Yagami Raito, having a cheerful conversation with her brother.

“Hey,” she pretended that nothing happened.

Raito, who was a good actor himself, chimed in. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“Our dad needed smokes, and she needed some snacks before hitting the hay, so, we came here,” Seigyo said affectionately, kissing his baby sister’s cheek.

“He also needed ice cream after devouring almost half of the entire cake,” she pointed out. She enjoyed embarrassing her brother every moment she could, for he’d do the same with her friends, given the chance.

Seigyo instantly gave her a noogie on the head. “It was barely half!!!! Damn, bratty half-pint!!!”

A scream caught their attention. Seigyo instantly stiffened and turned to see four men trying to take advantage of a woman. He instantly went out of the store, leaving the things in a basket, to try and rescue the girl.

“Raito, help her, too!!!” she whispered, not liking what she was seeing.

Raito turned to look at her. Taking her in and covering her eyes, he whispered close to her ear, “It’s okay, your brother has it covered. Besides, someone has to stay close to you and make sure you don’t see this.”

She could feel his breath fanning her cheek, and, she couldn’t help but feel something boiling at the pit of her stomach. It didn’t help when she felt his warmth holding her from behind.

The next thing she knew, the sound of Raito gasping in surprise caught her attention. She quickly disentangled herself from his grasp. What she saw next caused her to hold her breath. There was an accident that just occurred, and her brother also stood frozen as those would-be rapists ran to chase after their friend.

Raito quickly shielded her eyes away once more by hugging her tightly, hissing, “Don’t look! J-Just don’t. it’s not for you to see…”

Raito actually stuttered?

Looking up, she realized that Raito seemed…human? No. he looked scared. He looked like he just discovered something but was too afraid to say anything.

Seigyo soon entered back. Taking the things Tsukai wanted to buy, he ordered Raito directly, “Send Tsukai off. She shouldn’t be seeing these kinds of things.”

Raito nodded, shaking himself, too, but, not enough for others to notice. Holding her hand tightly, Raito made sure to cover the area where the accident happened and held onto her as if she, too, was his lifeline.

“Are you alright, Rai- _nii-chan_?” she asked him softly.

Raito stopped in his tracks. Turning to face her, he looked too composed as he asked, “I should be asking you that. You shouldn’t have been there to see that kind of thing…too innocent…”

Tsukai nodded, trying to calm down her drumming heart. “Y-y-yes, but, we s-s-see these k-k-kind of things o-on the news every day.”

Raito looked her into his arms gently. “Reality is different from seeing things on the television.” Removing his jacket, he placed it on her.

She snuggled into him, smelling his gentle scent. It was so…Raito. Looking up at him, she spoke softly, “Thanks.” Raito always did this out of obligation, but, she would take as much as she could.

“About a while ago,” Raito began.

She shook her head. “It’s not worth mentioning. All water under the bridge.”

Raito couldn’t help but nod. “I was just curious where you went.”

If Raito was trying to distract her from the events a while ago, he was doing a pretty good job. Instantly, Tsukai’s countenance shifted from awkward to one gushing about ‘cute guys’ and ‘hotties in a suit’. She described how the food was pricy because of the theme, but, enjoyed ‘eye-candy’ nonetheless. She was also gushing about one hot guy with glasses that reminded her of an anime she watched.

“You do know those types of cafes are known to underpay the poor employees, right?”

“They do?” Tsukai said cluelessly.

Raito nodded.

Both arrived at the front of her house soon. Looking at him, he seemed ti be in no hurry to leave.

“Uh…see you in school?” she said uncertainly.

He nodded, seemed to be in a daze himself.

She took off his jacket and handed it to him, but, he pushed it towards her, saying, “Keep it and bring it to school tomorrow.”

“I have a lot of jackets at my disposal,” she argued.

He shook his head. “Just do as I say for once. Besides, this will give you a reason to go to my classroom tomorrow for a change. I’m always the one bringing you things that you leave behind Sayu’s room.”

“Men are really weird.” She couldn’t help but scrunch her face as she left him out in the cold. Nonetheless, she did as instructed and frog marched into the house, leaving Raito outside.

For someone so smart, she missed the haunted look that Raito kept behind his façade. If she knew that this was the beginning of his descent, she would have done anything to stop him.


End file.
